Vacant seats case: Supreme Court did not make directives to the Speaker – Tsatsu Tsikata

Private legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata has stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case of the vacant parliamentary seats did not include any directive to Speaker Alban Bagbin regarding their status.

Speaking on TV3's Agenda on November 18, Tsikata emphasized that the court's conclusion lacked specific instructions to the Speaker about whether the seats had been vacated.

This view aligns with the Speaker's lawyer, Thaddeus Sory, who reiterated that the judgment did not mandate the MPs’ reinstatement or require Parliament to recognize their return.

However, legal practitioner Kofi Bentil countered, asserting that Supreme Court rulings demand compliance, regardless of agreement, describing any suggestion of no directive as an overreach.

The case, ruled on November 14, emphasized that MPs only vacate their seats if they change political affiliation while actively serving under their new identity.